The Meeting
The Summary After many sleepless months of planning and designing, Sokka has finally unveiled his blueprints and ideas to the rest of the mansion. Both doubt and support are being thrown around as the people of Romanov must decide whether to risk their life or not. As Satine is whisked away by Rasputin to aid in his nefarious plans against the cyborg and Romanov as a whole, a newcomer is forced to enter the scene as Colette bursts out. She begs to be taken to the obelisks, wanting to aid him. Vendy / General. It was here, the moment that Sokka had been preparing for. All these months narrowed down to this one meeting, this one gathering of the Romanov residents. He'd find out whether all those sleepless nights were worth it, all the time and effort he had put into the blueprints and designs for the machine that would safely take them through the forest and back again. How many were there? How many people would slink out of the halls and rooms, brought together if only because they saw the glimmer of hope? There was a lot of pressure on him, and Sokka found that he had suddenly forgotten how to speak. Not so much as an hour ago, he had been confident. Hell, he had even had his speach and everything prepared, though there was nothing like standing up in front of people and realizing that you were scared of them. He had set up an easel on one of the staircases, on which were displayed horribly drawn blueprints and plans, many of which would need extensive explaining as to what the fuck they were. The staircase had been chosen because he could easily elevate himself over the crowd, standing above the adults so that he could be heard clearly. Not only that, but quite frankly, he didn't like travelling too far into the mansion. He thought of it as going down into the bowels of some hellish animal, and you could say that he felt much better staying near the mouth of the beast. Standing in a pool of dingy morning light, Sokka had taken a moment to glance out to the forest, feeling a chill as he watched the Autumn wind. The leaves had fallen, and for a while, it had been beautiful to look at. The colors had been glorious, and it had made for a dramatic backdrop to any events that were going on. But now, there was nothing. The branches were naked, gnarled and horribly ugly. They looked like hands, ready to grab and rend him, and he hated to think of what else would be willing to try and tear him apart. Should his plan fail, he would personally be the cause of death for a great many people here. Friends and lovers would be torn apart for good, and he would be the one to blame. Their bodies would be forever in the forest, gone for all eternity. Sokka had sighed heavily, dark circles under his eyes, though it certainly looked like he had been catching up on his sleep. For once, he had slept throughout the night, a deep and dreamless sleep that had taken him by surprise. Hell, he had even slept in his bed for once--under the covers! It had been a long time since he had fallen asleep anywhere other than his work space, waking up with splotches of ink on his face like warpaint. But here it was...what he had been preparing for months. Sokka stood before the inhabitants of Romanov, amazed at how many people were trapped here with him. There were many that he hadn't met, and there were a few that he noticed hadn't joined in the gathering. But it was their loss, since he had no choice by to go ahead and speak. "So, uh, good morning and...and I got blueprints here that you need to look at, but first I gotta talk about the obelisks. Well, I saw those in the mountains in the flying machine, and--" He paused for a moment, feeling stupid and suddenly hearing a voice that sounded wonderfully like Colette's in his head. Go slow. Stay paced and don't get ahead of yourself. Here, have some of my bread... Yeah, he wished. Start from the beginning. He breathed in, holding it in before letting it out in one big swoop. "I made a flying machine this summer and saw the land around the forest. There's obelisks near the mountains, and I think that they could be a way out. They're a long way off and we'll need to get through the forest to get to them, and I'm not sure what else could be out there," He explained, suddenly trying to flatten out one of the blueprints on the easel, ignoring the coffee ring in the corner. It was horribly drawn in a childish scrawl, but it appeared to show what looked to be a horse-drawn carriage, screens over the windows and a large open spot in the back. Of course, it could've been anything, and Sokka's horse resembled what appeared to be a cow with a large tumor on its ass. The carriage itself was fairly tall and quite long, clearly spacious enough for a large group of people and supplies. There were also a large number of bomb-like blobs placed at regular intervals along the support beams, which had squiggly lines running through them. Needless to say, his art sucked. "This is what will get us through the forest--see these things? They're water bombs, and they're set along these beams--see these? Right here?--that will be filled with water. The things don't like water, and it can kill them if there's enough of it. But, I think it's just water from the mansion. The windows are going to have metal screens over them that can be moved up and down, and the driver's seat will be inside the carriage, and there reins will reach through the screens, and then there'll be holes in the screens that we can use to defend ourselves. Like, um, shoot arrows or something. But the horse? They don't mind animals, but there's water bombs and a harness around it, just in case." Sokka paused, having been pointing out the carriage's parts this whole time, not aware that his explaination probably sucked as much as his art. He looked over his shoulder to the others, taking a moment to peer around at those that had gathered. He could pick out the green-haired woman that stood off to the side, looking grim and intense, and he could spot the crippled doctor, a small mouse perched on his shoulder. There was a blue goat-girl in the back, growing antsy and practically jumping up and down in anticipation, and then the massive hound that stood at her side. Of course, he didn't notice the Magna-guard that watched him in hiding, cloaked by the shadows, eerily stealthy for being a robot. Sokka didn't know that this minion was currently broadcasting his speach to the cyborg, who sat in a distant room and listened to the whole thing on a radio that he had contructed. "The water bombs can be refilled and reconstructed, so we'll be able to use them again if we need to. There's room for supplies and weapons, and the wheels can be built to go over treeroots and rocks without breaking, change the axels around and stuff. I've scouted around the edge of the forest, and I've noticed a large gap in the trees that we can get through. I think...I think it could've been a road at some point," He continued, going through various sheets of paper that displayed plans for axels, the inner working of the bombs, and then even the designs for the supply space that would be fitted under the driver's seat. "I've already got materials ready for the carriage, but I'm going to need help. I can't do this alone," Sokka said, and then fell silent. He gazed around at the gathering once more, a dramatic sort of silence falling over them. The air was heavy, and Sokka knew why--this was some heavy-duty stuff. "So...whose with me?" Ah, the million dollar question. He doubted that everyone would be scrambling to get in on a piece of the action, and as the silence commenced for another few seconds, he had begun to fear that they would simply disperse. Break up and go back into the halls of Romanov, calling him crazy for wanting to do such a thing. However, a voice spoke up, one that was heavily accented and sounded almost obscenely foreign. "I go," Xaxu said as she stepped forward, the worg following her closely. A look of incredible concentration came to her, white eyes narrowed in determination. "I can work crossbow and I track. I am hunter, and I am medic. Face it, kid, you are being in need of me," She said, stepping up on the bottom of the staircase, turning around to the gathering and giving the others an almost dirty look for having not spoken up yet. Sokka watched as she looked back to him and nodded, slim hands balled into fists, the monstrous canine stepping up with her. Drool hung from his lips in strings, and Sokka realized that the thing could easily help defend the carriage. After all, the creatures wouldn't be going for him... "Um, good. Anyone else?" Sokka asked, and he gave a large mental grimace as House spoke up next, ignoring the whisperings of the little mouse on his shoulder. "You're going to get us killed, Tonto. There's no gurantee that you're going to survive, so you might as well just say that you're going to take us all to die," He said with an air of someone who was usually always right, "you have no idea if water could kill all the creatures." It was a good point. Sokka breathed again, and scratched the back of his neck, trying to think up a good answer for House's remark, once more fearing that this whole thing was already falling apart. He opened his mouth to speak, but the Draenei spoke first, her words sharp and precise. "Then we die knowing we did something!" She said acidly. "And what? It achieved nothing but your deaths--painful deaths, might I add," House retorted without missing a beat, hobbling forward on the silver-tipped pimp cane, the lines in his face deepening as he frowned. "All right!" Sokka suddenly blurted, trying to keep the two from ripping into each other with each remark. "Listen! We use water, weapons, and this...animal," He continued, counting off the things on his fingers, "I have plans for an automatic weapon system in the roof and around the bottom of the carriage, and we can use that as well to help us through the forest. Yeah, I know it's dangerous, but it's no better than staying here." Of course it wasn't. This place was filled with more than enough dangers to keep them on their toes, much more than just an angry ghost. The walls had eyes, so to speak, and here? Sokka had no doubt that it was true. Every once in a while he heard clanking, and he had no doubt who it was, even if he hadn't met this thing in person. "You guys know who and what I'm talking about, and I think that the creatures could be less of a danger. They act on instinct, and the things here are smart. They can think and plan, so you can stay here and face them or you can come with me and outsmart the things in the woods," Sokka continued, his voice growing more and more eager. He had even begun to pace, letting his plans fall to the floor at his feet. "Even if we die in the woods, we can die knowing that we took some of them down with us. Here? You know as well as I do that everything is looking to kill you here. You're not any safer here than you are with the creatures. Here or there, we have a fighting chance, but we'll get nothing done if we stay in the mansion. There's something beyond the obelisks, and it could be our chance to get out of here for good. Out there in those woods, we can fight for our right to go home, and when we get to the obelisks, we can find a way to get to our own worlds!" Oh, he was getting jazzed up now. "So, who here wants to come with us? We're not getting anything accomplished here, and if we don't get out, then those who stay behind will have one more thing to help them figure out what to do." Yeah, he figured that not everyone would want to go. It was a given, considering that there was at least one of them that was just a kid. "We can show this place that we're not afraid of this world any longer. Even if there's no way out, then we can show everything here that we can survive." And that was it. Sokka paused finally in front of his easel, the morning sun draping him in light, dark shadow rippling over the stairs. He looked at them all, waiting for their voices to raise again in a cacophony. Goosebumps formed on his arms, which was strange considering that his palms were incredibly sweaty. Sokka's breath came in short bursts, his adrenaline running, and there was never a time that he felt such a need to start a project. They could show this world that they were no longer afraid, no longer willing to become victims of their raging spirits and the devils that lurked in the shadows. If they were to die, they wouldn't die in fear, but in defiance. Romanov would realize that it was dealing with more than just a group of lost people, tossed out of their world and thrust into one that sought to kill them. Romanov was dealing with a group of people that was much more than just victims--it was dealing with people who would refuse to submit. They would stand, even if they were cut down for their collective strength. At least, Sokka hoped so. Even if there weren’t many that wanted to join him, he was still willing to give it a go. He’d build the carriage and take the Draenei with him, and they could try and get through the forest. The metal screens could protect them from a great deal of damage, though he did worry about the ones that spat acid. He could remember them vividly from his time in the forest, and he could only imagine what those things could if their venemous spit managed to burn through the screens. What if there were ones that could slip in through the holes like serpents, attacking stealthily and killing them with ease? Well, it was something that Sokka was willing to risk. He had no desire to let Rasputin take his life, nor did he have any desire to let the fabled warlord kill him. They were far more dangerous than the creatures in his opinion, and there was no amount of machinery that could keep them from killing all of them. In the very bowels of the mansion, Grievous listened to the speech, occasionally turning and tuning the radio so that he could hear the whole thing better. It was easy for him to support this adventure, even if he didn’t plan on going himself. If this kid was able to take a few of the strongest inhabitants with him, well, that would be just fine. After all, it was a few less people that would get in his way. If he planned on taking Romanov for himself, now would be the perfect time to do it. Take the strong ones and leave Rasputin, and Grievous thought he could handle this with ease. Even if there were doubts concerning his "employer", he quite liked the idea that there were be few that actually could stand in his way. However, in the back of his mind, he knew that the ghost could cut him down. He knew that if his plan was found out, Rasputin would kill him and place him in the walls of the mansion, his body to be devoured for all eternity. It was a scary idea, but if it meant taking vengeance on everyone here—especially Rasputin—then Grievous was more then willing to use this opportunity. It would have been foolish not to. He leaned in closer as someone asked a question, and the kid began to explain that no, it was probably a bad idea to catch a creature, but the radio shut off before he could hear anything else. Sparks flew from the back, acrid smoke curled up through the speakers, and Grievous cried out in rage as he realized that his only connection to the meeting had broken. He didn’t hear as Sokka continued once more to explain the carriage, the way the back could be rolled down all the way, opening it up entirely. The screens could be rolled down to open up the windows, and the way the driver’s seat could be exposed. "Obviously for if we get out of the forest," Sokka said, giving a small, nervous laugh as he set up the blueprints once more, the edges curling in on themselves. "We can enter through the back instead of making doors in the sides. The screens and door can be locked in place with metal latches, to prevent anything from breaking in. If we have to, we can set up sprinklers around the edges of the openings, in case the creatures try anything. In order for the driver to see with the screens down, there’ll have to be a window. I thought of making a small window in the screen, and then making it so that the window could be paneled so that the screen can be rolled up without breaking the glass. It’ll be two sheets of glass with water in between, and whoever drives might want to wear goggles in case the glass breaks," Sokka explained, holding up a blueprint of the window, pointing to each of the parts, growing more and more enthusiastic with each word. Sure, it sounded crazy. It sounded utterly insane and there was no doubt that yes, some people would call him crazy. But he wanted to make this thing, to make something that could help them out somehow. Romanov was a dangerous place, deadly in every since of the word, and Sokka had no intention to let this damn place get the best of him. Already he had been bested, and he didn’t want to be knocked on his ass again. It wasn’t just Romanov that sought to kill them, but there were a few of the inhabitants that would be willing to take control, to settle themselves in and cast themselves over the rest of those forced to live here. Indeed, perhaps they would be lucky to die by the creatures, the warlord more than ready to start his destructive campaign against them. Grievous had already begun to pace angrily, turning with eerie speed as the Magna-guard came into the room, having slinked away from the meeting. It would be all the information he could gather, and he had no intention of making an appearance himself. No, he could deal with what he had, and he would keep it secret from anyone—or anything—that could be watching him. He found himself shamefully thinking of the courtesan, wondering if she’d be one of those that went with them, and he forced the thought away. In his way, clouding his thinking, becoming a vulnerable area…he felt a loving distaste. Grievous didn’t hear as Setsuna finally stepped forward, having remained silent this whole time. She was the quiet sort, having watched all this with a certain amount of doubt. Having experienced the horror of Romanov for herself, she wasn’t eager about staying here, but she wasn’t exactly jumping to join Sokka’s quest. She had remained with her thoughts and her musings before suddenly producing her staff, proudly holding it as she came forward. "I’ll stay," She said, giving the Garnet Rod a little twirl before thrusting it on the ground at her side with a metallic ring. "You say that Romanov is dangerous, and I’ve experienced that danger first hand. I’ll stay to protect those who can’t go. There’s no reason they shouldn’t have someone help them," Setsuna continued with her explaination, straightening her shoulders and glancing around as though daring someone to question her reasoning, "I’ve defended myself against Rasputin before, as well as the cyborg. I think my place is here for now." Sokka nodded in understanding, actually glad that someone was willing to stay behind, not from fear but from the need to protect those unable to go. He looked to the others, heart thumping in his chest, and he licked his lips nervously. Everything was put forward, every piece of information given to them. There wasn’t much else to say, and all he had to do was wait for the voices to raise up in one, agreeing and disagreeing at the same time. The morning sun warmed his skin, but despite this, he suddenly felt a cold chill. It was happening, things were getting on the roll, and for once, everyone was brought together. Things were getting real, and the weight of the situation pressed in on him until Sokka thought he would choke to death. He was suddenly very aware of what his arms were doing, and the gaze of the crowd made the hair on the back of his neck prickle. But despite this, he still felt the wild exhileration. His plans were finished, the sleepless nights over, and the moment was now. Everything had lead up to this, and he could feel everything change. It was a turning point for everyone, and now was the time to rise up as one. Romanov would no longer control them, they would see to that. Baku. The crimson-haired courtesan watched from the wall, the doors close to her side. She did not choose to be near them, she simply was placed there by ill fate. It had taken Grievous' help to rush to her quarters from the roof. She couldn't be seen walking around in bloodied bandages and a less than flattering hospital gown, after all. Her notable features were hidden by cloth, bright, red locks of hair covered by funeral attire. She didn't think that she had dressed properly for the event until now. The boy spoke of plans to journey into the depths of hell, and he planned to bring everyone along for the ride. "And what if your plan fails?" She said. Her voice was strong, yet with a dark undertone. This was no time for her damsel in distress act. "Those... Things. They have abilities we don't even know about. They can even change us into one of them. I have seen it first-hand." She wasn't going to say that it was her she was talking about. These people were strangers. Strangers she couldn't twirl around her little fingers. "I'd rather stay here than roam about the forest, looking for false hope, only to find myself turning into a mindless animal. When we are here... At least we have food, and shelter, and clothes... And you want to abandon that for the unknown? It is dangerous here... I agree. But you have to ask yourself... Which fate is worse?" She could see a jittery mouse out of the corner of her eye, standing on his hind legs, as if trying to get her attention. Mr.Jingles squealed in excitement as he saw his long, lost friend. He clawed at the doctor's ear, whispering to him, "Its Satine! It's Satine!" As his whiskers tickled House's lobe. The meeting was a mere memory to him as he watched over the courtesan. He was a mouse after all. It was hard for him to think of many things at once, and he dearly missed his lady friend. His little claws dug at the doctor's skin. "Lets go see her." He said over and over, almost as excited as when someone threw his spool. He waited for the doctor to respond, finding two seconds too long to wait. He soon climbed down, taking careful steps as he climbed down the vertical man. He accidentally slipped and fell of his pant leg, but he was okay. He ran in between feet, over hooves and paws, ignoring the squeals he left behind. He followed the familiarity of an elegant dress and lace...Lots of lace. Just as he was about to begin his assent up her clothes, the courtesan began walking away. Being a one in a million mouse, he quickly gave chase, running as fast as he could with his limp. In his eyes, her dressed moved like the sea, waves of fabric swaying and contorting to the movement of its wearer. He managed to get one claw stuck it the fabric, her actions dragging him along for the ride until she turned around, looking down upon him, a long awaited smile appearing on her face as she bent down to pick him up. He was eager for the feeling of her hands, the light floral scent that masked her in a veil of femininity. He felt the edge of her fingers coil around him, only to have the feeling dashed away from him. "Why are you still alive?!" A booming voice demanded an answer from his friend. His oil spot eyes stared in horror as the disemboweled horror of Romanov has Satine by the throat, already pushing her to the ground, as if trying to see which would crack first. "Why won't you just fucking die, you bitch?" The floor rumbled underneath Mr.Jingles as he bashed Satine's head against the hard floors of the kitchen. The feeling of hopelessness swam through his veins, causing him to run away... Only to get help from a certain doctor. Satine pressed her hand against his face, trying to push him away as he pushed her down. She was not going to be beaten again by his hand... Not again! She pushed against him, hoping for the feeling of strength to consume her once again... But not this time... Why didn't she change? She stared up at him, feeling his dual colored eyes stare down at her like the sockets of the reaper. His thumbs dug into her windpipe until she was almost blue, then released. He had better plans for her... Oh yes... His brain, always at work, had found purpose in her pearl skin, her fiery hair, but most importantly... The effects she had on the cyborg. That heap of metal was of no use to him currently, prowling around the halls of his mansion, looking like a poor excuse for a slave. He bored Rasputin, and as a slave, that is the ultimate violation of his 'contract'. "You are lucky you are still of use to me, whore. I could you make you a permanent fixture of the floor, for all to walk on... Now listen closely... You will come to the ballroom as soon as possible... We have to discuss how you are going to remain alive under my roof." He took the moment to run his fingers through her glimmering hair, giving into the base emotions of man before snapping back to insanity, grabbing a fistful and bringing her head back to the ground. "And don't forget to dress nicely.This funeral look has no place on the dance floor." A grim smirk appeared on his face as he left the courtesan to think about her options... His mind quickly drifted elsewhere, fitting the pieces of his demented puzzle together. Naito. With an light, airy sigh, one could easily detect Chell from the rest of the scenery in the kitchen. Not many things were one-hundred and twenty two pounds, in an orange jumpsuit, with ratty brown hair. Not many things were sleeping on top of the island counter top, either. After so long in the Enrichment Center, and it's odd, angular settings, one could only become accustomed to the way things worked in that hell hole. Sleeping on cold, hard, sharp-edged surfaces was what Chell was used to - and so she continued to do it even after bring dropped off in this odd, odd dimension. Inter-dimension. Whatever it was. Hearing a rouse---- k two year old needs attention fffffffs Lily (OOC: Cobra's intro. Forgot to log it when I was asked to before.) "The voice... Voices... So many of them..." He grumbled, feeling his pet coil around him. "Not shutting the fuck up!" he hissed, like a combination of a snake and a dragon. Gripping his sensitive ears, he opened his wide green eyes to the dull and dank light dribbling in from outside the crate. As a former Dark Mage several weeks on the run from the Military and the Magic Council, he needed some rest. He was sure he'd chosen a rather secluded fruit box to take a nap in, far enough away from any passerbys so their their inner voices would register on his Heart Listening Magic as nothing more than a whisper. But now, it sounded as though there was a mob screaming ten feet away from him. If he were fully awake it would be no real issue, only a headache, but yet he was tired and rattled and not in any mood to deal with anything or anyone. Holding out his arm, the large purple snake coiled around it like a spring, and he jerked his arm towards the top of the crate, releasing the bundled snake up and splintering the wood. Reaching up for the top of the crate, he soon realized he had stuck himself in a crate that was taller than he was. Hissing again, he lifted up his leg and proceeded to kick open the side with his boot, cursing his rather moderate stature. Freeing himself from the accursed fruit crate, Cobra set foot down on the soil outside. Looking around, he brushed some of the berries out of the crevices of his white canvis trenchcoat and red leather pants. He ran a hand through his wild, dark red hair muttering: "Where the hell am I? This isn't Haregeon..." Looking back to the crate, he nodded and the large purple python slithered out and coiled himself around his Master. The voices, he could hear them still, all of them like a wave of pressure on his temples... All of them coming from the large antique mansion in front of him. He looked up at it like someone who had just had the worst drunken joyride of their life. Kazi Pride. That’s what Colette was feeling. Pure, lovely pride. Pride that Sokka was finally complete with his plans, his strategies, everything needed in order for him to prepare for this day. Naturally, Collette was the very first there, so early that she even had to wait for Sokka to arrive. She was happy to give help him prepare, to give little light advice to help him along the way, even sneak in a couple pieces of bread or two for him to eat – poor guy needed breakfast after all. She couldn’t remember a moment in this day where she was not smiling – this very moment just made her too happy. Now she was in the very back of the group that gathered, her hands clamped together over her heart, her golden hair lazily dangling over her shoulders, her eyes wide, and finally, standing on her tiptoes. Damn her height! She could barely see over the shoulder than belonged to Xaxu. She was thankful, though, that the group remained quiet enough for her to hear Sokka’s speech, clear albeit rough around the edges. It’s okay, he was nervous, she understood. Just take your time, Sokka, there’s no rush. Just explain what you need then let the opinions of those help you along your way. She urged him on and on in her mind, hardly breathing as she heard Sokka give out his speech. When he was finally done, she sighed silently, her hands grasping each other as tight as they could until her knuckles went pale. Her luck was changing, it seems, as Xaxu finally stepped out of the crowd to join Sokka at the bottom of the step. That’s what Sokka needed, support. This sent a silent giggle that never reached the outside of her throat, then looked at the doctor as he stated his opinion. And a rather harsh one at that. Collette made a face at him (Something she hardly ever did) and opened her mouth to speak – only to find that Xaxu would soon say the very thing that was on her mind. Die free or die trying, it seemed like … not quite the message she had in mind, but still a powerful one at the least. Collette sighed contentedly at the woman, and then finally turned her head away from Sokka, noticing the rest of the people that had arrived. Laura, naturally the second one to arrive (Only to see what could be going on) , was too struggling with height problems as she jumped and twisted and ran to see past Travis’s massive legs. The little girl’s excitement was amusing, and Colette found it hard to hide a chuckle as Laura finally realized that she will not get past this man – rather, she chose a simpler route, go past the skinnier legs that belonged to a certain horned priestess, Hanyuu, who was more than happy to step aside for the little girl as she made her way to the front. Hanyuu couldn’t help but smile as the girl went past her, seating herself on her knees between the doctor, who actually paid her no mind, and the young psychic, Lucas, who moved aside to make room for her, sitting criss-crossed on the floor. Hanyuu then glanced up to a certain Red-jacket thief, then returned that glace with a smile, making her flush somewhat. She drew her attention back to Sokka, as did Collette, who by the time snuck her way towards the front, a single hand placed over her heart. This gave a little room for NiGHTS to sneak into her spot, his massive height enough for him to see over Collette’s shoulder, also feeling a sense of pride for his friend and his speech (at least, NiGHTS likes to consider Sokka a friend, him being the first one he ever met coming to this mansion). NiGHTS listened intently, his hands unconsciously in fists, feeling exhilaration for every word that Sokka uttered on. Then came Sestuna’s words, how she had come to the decision of staying behind to defend those who can’t defend themselves. Oh wow, that was something unexpected. NiGHTS was sure she would go with Sokka – not that he didn’t have enough protection already from Xaxu, but she had magnificent powers that not even NiGHTS couldn’t dream of. And then it hit him – would he go or would he stay? He was pretty much useless on the ground, without the ability of flight, but yet, if he stayed, what use could he serve here? Oh sure, there was Laura to look after, but what if she was indeed in the hands of danger? What could NiGHTS do to help Setsuna out? Nothing, that’s what. NiGHTS gave out a heavy sigh, then lifted his head towards Sokka and Xaxu. “I’ll go too.” He proclaimed, everyone giving surprised glances at him, stunned either because NiGHTS would say he would go or if people just didn’t notice he was here. Even Sokka gave him a confused glance. For some reason, NiGHTS smiled. He merely closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, crossing his arms as if to look as casual as he could. “Yeah, I know. I know what you all are thinking.” Don’t lie, NiGHTS, of course you don’t, “You’re thinking ‘well, what could you possible do, you nut? You can’t fly!’” NiGHTS dropped his cool demeanor and set his hands on his hips, giving out a cocky smile. “Well, I don’t know what, but I won’t let that stop me. Sokka, I trust you, and I for one want to see what’s beyond those obelisks you speak of. Perhaps I can finally return to Nightopia and finish off Wizeman once and for all!” The crowd remained silent and NiGHTS finally laid his arms at his side, looking like himself again. “So … yeah, I’m going with Sokka.” He said meekly, giving a little wave. Colette smiled – more support and another person to protect Sokka for her. She halfway closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, thinking of her whole position on this. It was already decided (mostly by sokka) that Collette would stay here in the mansion. It’s not what she wanted, but she couldn’t protest. Any mention of it would have Sokka blatantly telling her “no” then have him storm off in another direction. She wanted to go, so she would be there for Sokka, to support and protect him … and be with him if it does turn out if their fates ended sadly out there. But on the other hand, Colette had to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sokka was only doing what any man would: look out for those he cared about. He didn’t want her coming because he didn’t want her to end up in the hands of those creatures that lay in the forest. She understood that, and that’s why she couldn’t protest. Colette just had to lay back and accept it, that Sokka was going and she was staying. She turned her head towards the front of the group, Lucas warily raising his hand. “I’ll go too.” He simply said in a shy voice, blinking his eyes as he did. “I can at least handle a bat or a long stick, so I can defend myself. I want to be useful too”. Colette smiled at the blond, then turned her head towards Hanyuu, who shifted her eyes all around, herself making a decision if she wanted to go or not. The priestess looked up at Lupin once or twice, then gave a shaky sigh. “I can’t go.” She finally decided, “I’m needed here. There’s very little I can do out there”. Hanyuu faced Colette for a moment, who gave her a reassuring wave, then smiled, turning back towards Sokka. “I can try my best to help Setsuna out any way I can”. Colette jumped when she heard the shrill squeak of the child, who she nearly had forgotten had crawled herself to the front, jumping on her knees. “Sokka!” She yelled, “I want to go! Please, can I go? Pleeeeeeeease!?”. Colette frowned. EVERYONE knew the question to that answer. Of course not, she was only a child!